2001 I completed my PhD in 2001 on the genetics and physiology of styrene degradation by Pseudomonas putida CA-3, before going on to post-doctoral work in areas of microbial biopolymer synthesis and wastewater biotreatment in UCC. 2005 I joined the UCC School of Microbiology as a temporary lecturer, securing funding to explore wastewater nutrient removal technology development for the dairy sector. At that time I also undertook online curriculum design courses at Harvard Graduate School WIDE program, and went on to become an online coach for the programme from 2006-2008. 2010 I was appointed to full time lecturer in the School and continued to develop my wastewater research lab located at UCC’s Environmental Research Institute. In parallel to my disciplinary research, between 2008 - 2014 I pursued further CPD in education completing NFQ linked postgraduate certificate, diploma and MA in teaching and learning at UCC. 2016 I relocated from the Environmental Research Institute back to the School of microbiology to take over the lab were I had finished my PhD 15 years earlier! My research interests expanded to microbial community ecology of biotreatment systems and development of novel bioreactor configurations advancing sustainability in dairy wastewater management. At this time also (2016), given my commitment to continuing education and student centric learning, I was invited to become a Teaching Fellow of UCC’s Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) involved in the design and delivery of CPD in teaching and learning to fellow colleagues. 2019 I was appointed to Senior Lecturer and have since enjoyed developing valuable interdisciplinary collaborations aimed at delivering circular economy aligned, sustainable valorisation solutions to agri-food se

Affiliations: Principal Investigator School of Microbiology and affiliated PI of the UCC Environmental Research Institute and, UCC SUSFERM biotechnology centre for precision fermentation. My disciplinary research is primarily focused on the application of microbial communities to agri/food sector wastewater remediation and/or bioconversions to develop sustainable, waste valorisation opportunities for industry, aligned with circular economy principles. My lab also conducts microbial community profiling and predictive functional modelling of bioreactor communities at laboratory, pilot and applied industrial scales, contributing biological insights to wastewater treatment plant performance and bioreactor optimisations. Much of my work to date has focused on the dairy processing sector with whom I have an extensive network of collaborators, examining opportunities for wastewater conversion to biodegradable plastics and conditioning of same to facilitate cultivation of aquatic plants with high protein content. Recent projects have expanded into meat processing wastestreams as well as farmyard wash waters with interdisciplinary teams including plant scientists, engineers and food technologists. During the pandemic I secured SFI rapid response funding to develop laboratory capacity for wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to detect SARS-CoV-2 in municipal wastewater in the Munster region. This project reported into governmental agencies for public health monitoring and later contributed collaborative input to the UniCov project where WBE was conducted nationally on campuses to facilitate a safe return to 3rd level education. WBE is a growth research area internationally and the lab is developing further activities and collaborations in same. My lab has also provided research capacity support to companies developing commericalisation opportunities through Enterprise Ire

I am currently Programme Director for the BSc Hons Microbiology degree and 4th year co-ordinator. My teaching Interests are focused in the areas of Food, Industrial and Environmental Microbiology and reflect the research activities in my lab. I am a strong advocate for the use of best practice pedagogical frameworks in curriculum design and hold NFQ linked postgraduate certificate (2008), diploma (2009) and Masters (2014) qualifications in teaching an learning in higher education. I also previously spent several years as an online coach for the Harvard Graduate School of Education WIDE programme, disseminating the Teaching For Understanding (TFU1) curriculum design model to educators from around the world. I believe in diversification of assessment as a key area for progression of student learning and development of holistic competencies and place on active emphasis on the incorporation of research engaged and research led teaching. I have a strong interest in technology-enhanced learning and have conducted funded investigations with interdisciplinary colleagues to develop VR simulations for teaching molecular biology concepts. More recently I have been involved in designing 360 mapped, interactive Virtual industrial site visits with industry collaborators to help students link lecture theory with applied settings. In addition to my primary responsibilities in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in the school of microbiology, I also act as Teaching Fellow with UCC's Centre for the Integration of Research Teaching and Learning. In this role I support colleagues undertaking masters level research into their own teaching practice, with several co-authored publications in the scholarship of teaching and learning space. I also pursue extensive outreach with 2nd level educators to support STEM engagement and